The Fort Bend Panthers Lacrosse mission is to promote lacrosse among youth residing in Fort Bend, Sienna Plantation, Missouri City, and Sugar land the fundamental and advanced skills of the game, sportsmanship, leadership and discipline through supervised

Terminology

Attack Goal Area
The area around the goal defined by the endline, the Goal Area Line and the two broken lines located 20 yards on either side of the goal. Once the offensive team crosses the midfield line, it has 10 seconds to move the ball into its attack goal area

Attackmen
Attackmen use the shortest stick so as to limit the chance of losing the ball. They generally stay on the offensive half of the field and coordinate the offense. They are usually the best stick handlers and must be quick and agile. Attackmen use a short stick (40-42 inches).

Baggataway
Lacrosse was orginally called Baggataway and was played by Native Americans for a variety of purposes: religious rituals, training of warriors, or to settle inter-tribal disputes. Often the games were played without any boundaries and with goals separated by many miles. It was not unusual to have players injured or killed during baggataway contests. The game acquired its present name because the sticks originally resembled the staffs, or croziers, carried by the French Jesuit missionaries who first observed the game. Thus, we have lacrosse.

Ball or Ball down
All players usually shout ball any time the ball is on the ground. Often this is the first indicator to the player who had it that he has dropped it. Ball can also signal the intent of a player to go after the ball instead of the man.

Body Check
Defensively using the body to hit an opposing ball carrier or while contesting an opponent for a player a loose ball. The body check must always be done above the waist and from the front or side.

Box (The Box)
The rectangular shaped area around the crease/goal. Defenders seldom press players outside of the box. The distance involved makes it all but impossible to score from outside of the box. The rules state that the offense can only possess the ball for so long without entering the box. At the end of a game the team that is ahead must keep the ball inside of the box.

Bull Dodge
protecting the stick by holding it in the outside hand behind the body, the ball carrier basically runs through the defenseman, bulling past toward the goal.

Change planes
When a shooter has a close in shot, the goalie must respect where the ball carrier starts his shot. If the shooter holds his stick high, the keeper does the same. Therefore it is most effective for the shooter to start high and shoot low, or vice versa. This is ‘changing planes’.

Checking
Using your stick to hit the stick of an opponent in possession of the ball.

Clamping
On the face-off, a player pushes the back of his stick down on the ball in the attempt to gain control of it.

Clearing
An important defensive maneuver where defending players run or pass the ball out of their goal area. Clearing is best done along the sidelines, away from the front of the goal.

“Coast to Coast” only occurs when a player nearest their endline takes the ball all the way down the field to the opposing team’s end of the field. Most of the time, this refers to clearing midfielders, or defensemen who carry the ball across midfield and into the offensive half and towards the cage. Coast to coast- from one goal to the other.

Cradling
In order to maintain control of the ball when moving along the field, players turn their wrists and arms to cradle the ball in the stick pocket.

Crosschecking
Hitting the opponent with the part of the stick between your hands. One-minute penalty.

Cutting
An attacking player without the ball darts around a defender toward the goal in order to receive a “feed pass.” A cutting player is a cutter.

D Cut
A maneuver used by an attackman to get open for a shot. The player starts on the GLE, about 5 yards away from the goal. He then makes a rounded cut, on the side away from the ball. (completing a “D” shape) This is often the third attackmans’ move during a fast break.

Defensemen
Defensemen use a longer stick (52-72 inches) and generally stay on the defensive half of the field. Their job is to guard the opponent's attackmen and take the ball away from them. Defensemen need to be quick, aggressive and tough. Middies us a short stick (40-42 inches).

Dodge
Any move that gets a ball carrier by a defender. Evading and passing a defender while driving with the ball.

Extra Man (aka Man Up or EMO)
Describes the team at a player advantage in a penalty situation. Opposite of man down.

Face-off
Takes place at the start of each quarter, after every goal, and after certain dead balls. Two opposing players crouch down at midfield, hold their sticks flat on the ground and press the backs of their stick pockets together. The ball is then placed between the pockets and, when signaled to start, the players “rake” or clamp on the ball to vie for control.

Face Dodging
A player with the ball cradles the stick across his face in an attempt to dodge a stick-poking defender. Generally an open field dodge that does not involve changing hands.

Failure to advance
When a team gains possession of the ball in the defensive end, it has 20 seconds to cross midfield. Failure to do this results in a "failure to advance" call and the possession is lost. Once past midfield, the team has 10 seconds to get the ball into the "box," meaning across the restraining line and inside the rectangle made up of the endline and the two inner lines that make up the attack area. Failure to do this also results in a "failure to advance" call and loss of possession. In addition, the offensive team must never keep the ball out of the "box" for more than 10 seconds. If they do, a "failure to advance" call will be made.

Fast Break
When an offensive team quickly mounts a scoring attack enabling them to gain a man advantage over the opposing defense. Almost always a four on three.

Feed Pass
An offensive play in which one player passes the ball to a cutting teammate for a “quick stick” shot on goal.

Flag Down
Tells the offense that a penalty will be called. This means that you should do all that we can to get off a shot without dropping the ball to the ground, which will halt play.

Four-second call
When the goalie makes a save or assumes control of the ball in any way while in the crease he may remain in the crease for only four seconds. If he does not vacate the crease in that time, possession is lost.

GLE (Goal Line Extended)
An imaginary line that extends straight out from the sides of the goal line.

Gilman Clear
Defender, typically the goalie, clears the ball by throwing it as far as he can down the field. Sometimes this is a desperation move, but it is often better to create a ground ball situation in the opponents end than around our own goal area.

Goalie
Also called a goalkeeper, the goalie uses a wider stick and wears a chest protector, as his job is to stop the opponents' shots, which may come flying at him at over 100 mph. The best goalies are either brave or crazy ... or a little of both. After making a save and gaining possession of the ball, the goalie is allowed to stay in the crease for only four seconds. During that time, no one is allowed to touch him.

Ground Balls
Players compete for the control of lose ground balls by stick checking opponents away from the ball while simultaneously trying to scoop it up.

Head
The plastic of the stick connected to the handle.

In the Dirt
The often trampled area approx. 15 foot radius area in front of the goal. Shots from outside the dirt area should be bounce shots, which are more difficult for keepers to stop. Also known as the ‘hole’. A much smaller area than ‘the box.’

Man Ball
When two teammates approach a ground ball along with one opponent the one closest to the opponent will yell "Man" and engage the opponent head on to keep them away while the other yells "Ball and gets the ball. The rules say that a player on a team with the ball cannot hit someone so after gaining possession the ball carrier immediately yells "Release" turning off the aggression by the teammate and they both go on offense with the ball.

Man Down
Describes the team which has lost a player to the penalty box and must play with fewer men on the field. Man Down teams are often tricky, since it is likely that a defender was penalized.

Man-to-man
A defensive setup in which each defending player guards a specific offensive opponent.

Midfielders
Middies, as they are also called, play both offense and defense, thus, they must run the length of the field. They are usually substituted frequently in units so as to keep them fresh. Speed and endurance are essential for middies. In recent years coaches have begun using "long-stick middies" -- middies with defense sticks -- as defensive specialists.

Out-of-bounds
When a shot goes out of play, the player closest to the sideline where the ball went out gets the ball.

Passing
An integral part to quickly moving the ball. Players throw overhand or underhand to each other. In most cases a high pass is easier to deal with than a low bouncing dribbler. Slowly thrown lobbed passes give the defense time to react and often result in the catching player being hit before the pass arrives.

Pick
An offensive player without the ball positions himself against the body of a defender to allow a teammate to get open and receive a pass or take a shot. Picks must be stationary and ‘passive’.

Pocket
The head of the stick in which the ball is held and carried. The pocket is strung with leather and/or mesh netting. In order to be legal, the top of a ball cannot be seen when looking at the pocket from the side.

Poke Check
A defender jabs his stick at the exposed stick end or hands of an opposing ball carrier in an effort to jar the ball loose. These checks are very effective in that the checking player stays in balance and keeps a cushion of space between himself and the ball carrier.

Quick Stick
When the ball reaches an offensive player’s stick on a feed pass, he catches it and then shoots it toward the goal in one swift motion.

Raking
A face-off move by a player who, in trying to gain possession of a ground ball, places the head of his stick on top of the ball and sweeps it back. Raking is done standing still. This means that often people who rake will be legally hit by an opposing player. Raking is a very bad habit that is difficult to unlearn. EXCEPTION: Goalkeepers can rake or ‘clamp’ a ground ball legally from the crease.

Release
Players shout release when they succeed in scooping a ground ball. This indicates to teammates that they can no longer make contact with the opponents to drive them away from the ball. Doing so is a penalty.

Riding
When an attacking team loses possession of the ball, it must quickly revert to playing defense in order to prevent the ball from being cleared back out. In most ride situations, the goal-keeper will be left un-marked.

Roll Dodge
An offensive move in which a bal carrier, using his body as a shield between a defensive player and the cradled ball, spins around the defender. To provide maximum ball protection, the ball carrier switches hands as he rolls.

Support
When a player without the ball moves into a position where the player with the ball can make a clear pass.

Scooping
The manner in which a player picks up loose ground balls. He bends toward the ground, slides the pocket of his stick underneath the ball, and lifts it into the netting of the stick.

Screen
An attacking player without possession of the ball positions himself in front of the opposing goal crease in an effort to block the goalkeeper’s view.

Shaft
A hollow aluminum or composite pole connected to the head of the crosse.

Skip – To pass to a non-adjacent teammate. Also known as a star pass. (like drawing a star)

Slap Check
A stick check (inferior to the poke check). The defender uses his stick to slap the stick of the offensive player who has the ball. Poke checks are preferred since it is easier to keep you feet moving and stay balanced during the check.

Slashing
Striking an opponent's body other than his hand with your stick. (To an extent, striking the arms is allowed.) One-minute penalty.

Slide
When an offensive player with the ball has gotten past his defender, a defending teammate will shift his position to pick up that advancing player.

Split Dodge
A move similar to a crossover in basketball. While running one direction, a player with the ball quickly steps in the opposite direction and changes hands leaving the defender going the other

Square Up
To position one’s body in preparation to pass. This means to aim the leading shoulder towards the target.

Stick Check
In an effort to dislodge the ball from the “pocket,” the defending player strikes his stick against the stick of an opposing ball carrier in a controlled manner.

Unsettled- Situation
Any situation in which the defense is not positioned correctly, usually due to a loose ball or broken clear, or fast break. Teams that hustle score many goals during unsettled situations.

V Cut
A maneuver used by an offensive player to get open for a pass. The offensive player feints in causing his defender to react and move, he then cuts sharply away (completing the “V” shape) See also “D cut”

Warding Off
While in possession of the ball, using a free hand to control an opponent’s stick or body

Zone Defense
When defenders play in specific areas of their defensive zone, rather than covering man-to-man.